[ FOTO ] World’s Largest Solar-Powered Boat

The TURANOR PlanetSolar, the world’s largest solar-powered boat, has just completed the first stage of its journey around the world – a trans-Atlantic journey from Monaco to Miami. The Swiss-designed solar-powered catamaran left Monaco on the 27th of September and docked in Miami just a few days ago, on the 28th of November.

At 101.7ft (31 meters) long and 49.2ft (15 meters) wide, the TÛRANOR PlanetSolar is the world’s largest solar-powered boat. The vessel is completely fuelled by renewable energy, with its solar cells having a 22% efficiency rate. These are the highest rated cells available for purchase on the market, and the cells cover over 500 square meters of the ship. The solar cells are able to power two electric motors which are found in the hull, giving the ship at a top speed of 14 knots. Most notably, the large surface area of solar cells means that the catamaran can travel for up to three full days, even without direct sunlight – any excess energy is stored in a state-of-the-art lithium-ion battery.

After this layover in Miami, the TÛRANOR PlanetSolar will head to Cancún, Mexico for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, where it will participate in activities organized by the Swiss government. The vessel is then expected to fully circumnavigate the world in the coming months, visiting San Francisco, Sydney, Singapore and Abu Dhabi, before returning home to Monaco.

The multi-national crew of the ship include Frenchman Patrick Marchesseau (Captain), Christian Ochsenbein (Bern, Switzerland), Michaela von Koskull (Finland), Jens Langwasser (Kiel, Germany) and project initiator Raphael Domjan (Yverdon-les Bain, Switzerland).

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Photo Via Planet Solar

[ FOTO ] David Reynolds - Constructorul de vase ... in miniatura !

Matchstick Master Builds Impressive Matchstick Ship

David Reynolds, from Southampton, England, has spent over 10,000 hours gluing 250,000 matchsticks into a veritable matchstick armada of 20 legendary ships.

The 51-year-old retired oil rig worker first made headlines last year, when the Guinness Book of Records acknowledged his oil rig replica as the largest matchstick model in the world, numbering 4,075,000 matchsticks. But the matchstick master didn’t sleep on his laurel after this notable success. He kept on gluing matchsticks and this year he finally completed his amazing collection of 20 famous ships, including Nelson’s HMS Victory, the Cutty Sark, Queen Mary and even the Titanic.

The creator says he was inspired by the city of Southampton and England’s seafaring history, but the fact that his father worked on board the Queen Mary, and his life at sea as an oil rig worker also had something to do with it. He considers his intricate matchstick models a tribute to the men and women who risked their lives at sea, throughout history.

Asked if he uses official plans from museums, to get every detail right, David Reynolds said that would cost him up to 1,000 pounds for each ship, so he prefers to use whatever photos and models he can find and do his own drawings. Each ship in his matchstick armada has taken between four and seven months to complete, and cost between 300 and 400 British pounds. The entire fleet took him around 10 years to build, and he says the hardest part was recreating the anchors, lifeboats and safety robes, as they take tremendous patience and time.

Mister Reynolds discovered the art of matchstick model making when his son bought him a kit, when he was housebound after serious surgery. It started off as a hobby, but quickly turned into a passion that continues to bring him worldwide recognition.

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[ VIDEO ] VASUL INVIZIBIL !!! The Invisible Ships !!!

The invisible ships for radars. At the end of 2009 it was entered into service of the American fleet. More images after the break...


Powerplant - 2 gas turbines, GE LM2500,
2 diesel MTU Friedrichshafen GmbH 20V 8000 M90.
Power - Turbines 2 x 29,500 hp diesel engines 2 x 12,203 hp
Screws - 4 water jet: 2 Wartsila LJ160E, two Wartsila LJ150E
Speed - 45 knots (at sea up to 3 points)

Cruising Range - 3500 miles (18 knots), 1000 miles (50 knots).
Endurance - 14 days. Crew - 50 people.

Armament: Anti-aircraft - 1 SAM RIM-116 (1921 SAM)
Artillery - 1 * 1 57 mm ??. 110,
antisubmarine - Honeywell Mk 50 Torpedo,
Aircraft - 2 SH-60 helicopters R / S Seahawks and UAV MQ-8 Fire Scout

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